But, if you want to make Butternut Squash Soup, add it to mac and cheese…or make unprocessed, all natural baby food, then using the slow cooker is definitely the method you want to use.

How to Cook Crock-Pot Butternut Squash

Place the entire butternut squash in the crock-pot. Close the lid, set the timer and walk away. It just doesn’t get any easier than that!

After about 4 hours on low or 6 on high, the squash is tender and easy to work with.

FAQ About Cooking Whole Butternut Squash in a Crock-Pot

Some things you might be pondering:

Rinse the outside flesh, just like you would do with any vegetable before cutting it.

You don’t need to poke holes in the outer flesh of the butternut squash. However, always follow the directions that come with your crock-pot. If you are concerned go ahead and stab it a few times. It will still work.

No need to add water to the crock-pot either. As the butternut squash cooks, a little liquid is released.

Butternut squash is done when a fork easily pierces the outer flesh.

Cook time is about 3-4 hours on high and 4-6 hours on low.

The cook time is very forgiving. An extra hour does not negatively impact the final result.

Butternut squash will be VERY hot and soft when it’s done. Turn off the slow cooker and allow it to cool.

Use washable oven mitts to lift the squash out of the crock-pot to a nearby plate. Or…use a crock-pot liner.

You can cook more than one butternut squash at a time. But, don’t stack them.

How to Make Butternut Squash Puree

Once the butternut squash is cool, it’s time to make a puree. First, spoon out the smallish section with seeds. Discard this portion or save the seeds to roast.

Use a spoon to gently scrape the soft flesh from the skin. I found it best to keep each half on a flat surface and spoon out portions without going to deep the first time. In other words, this process is much different than the way you remove the strands from spaghetti squash.

Once you’ve removed all the flesh, you’re done. If desired, pulse the flesh in a food processor or use an immersion blender to make it perfectly smooth. I’m always pretty satisfied with the consistency.

In my experience, a two pound Butternut Squash yields 3 cups of puree.

It’s ready to be used in a recipe!

How to Store Butternut Squash Puree

Butternut squash will stay fresh in the refrigerator for about 5 days. Keep it in an air-tight container or bag. This storage time applies to pureed or cubed butternut squash.

By the way, raw cubes of butternut squash will stay good in the refrigerator for about 5 days too!

How to Freeze Butternut Squash Puree

Butternut squash that has been properly frozen is safe to eat for about 6 months. However, we recommend using it within 2-3 months for the very best taste.

Store it in portion sizes that you might need. We suggest 1/2 cup portions. To do this, fill a muffin tin, plastic containers, or a plastic bag with puree and freeze it.

When you are ready to use the frozen butternut squash, remove it to the refrigerator to defrost overnight.

Or, microwave it. The amount of time will depend on the size of the frozen container. As a rule of thumb, a 1/2 cup of frozen butternut squash puree takes about 1 minute to defrost in the microwave on high. Stir and cook at 30 second intervals after that until warmed through.

We fill up a muffin tin with puree and then transfer it to a plastic bag once it is frozen.

Recipes that use Crock-Pot Butternut Squash Puree

With some butternut squash in the refrigerator or freezer, you can enjoy favorite fall recipes quickly and easily.

Soups are generally finished in under 30 minutes when the main step is out of the way. We used used this very technique to make Spicy Butternut Squash Soup.